Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System, Fourth Edition is a clear and concise distillation of the major topics covered in the best-selling Delivering Health Care in America by the same authors. Designed for undergraduate and graduate students in programs across the health disciplines, Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System is a reader-friendly, well organized resource that covers the major characteristics, foundations, and future of the U.S. health care system. The text clarifies the complexities of health care organization and finance and presents a solid overview of how the various components fit together.

Readers will gain the necessary tools to understand the unique dynamics of the U.S. health care system, including health care delivery, public policy, and the placement of the U.S. health care system within the larger context of global health care.

This fully revised Fourth Edition has been updated with the most current health statistics and information including:

The status and impact of the Affordable Care Act on all parts of the health care delivery system

Implementation of Healthy People 2020

The current U.S. physician workforce and challenges

New topics such as nanomedicine; clinical decision support systems; HITECH Law; update on remote monitoring; regulation of biologics; and medical technology

Health disparities in terms of access to care, quality of care, and health outcomes

Dr. Leiyu Shi is professor of health policy and health services research in the Department of Health Policy and Management, Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. He is also director of The Johns Hopkins Primary Care Policy Center. Prior to his academic positions, Dr. Shi worked in the public health field focusing on community-based primary care and vulnerable populations. He received his doctoral education from the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in health policy and services research. He also has a master’s in business administration focusing on finance. Dr. Shi’s research focuses on primary care, health disparities, and vulnerable populations. He has conducted extensive studies about the association between primary care and health outcomes, particularly on the role of primary care in mediating the adverse impact of income inequality on health outcomes. Dr. Shi is also well known for his extensive research on the nation’s vulnerable populations, in particular community health centers that serve vulnerable populations, including their sustainability, provider recruitment and retention experiences, financial performance, experience under managed care, and quality of care. Dr. Shi is the author of nine textbooks and more than 150 scientific journal articles.

Douglas A. Singh, PhD, MBA-Associate Professor of Management, School of Business and Economics, Indiana University at South Bend

Dr. Singh teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in health care delivery, policy, finance, and management in the School of Business and Economics and in the Department of Political Science at Indiana University-South Bend. He has authored/coauthored four books and has published in peer-reviewed journals. Before pursuing an academic career, he spent over 15 years in the long-term care industry and held positions of administrator, regional manager, vice president, and consultant. He was awarded the long-term care research award by the Foundation of American College of Health Care Administrators in 1995.